Gifts for the Philanthropist: 10 Scrappy Alternative Charities We Admire

Waves for Water

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credit: Waves 4 Water

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It makes sense that Jon Rose would focus his efforts on a charity that brings clean water to people in need: As a professional surfer, he knows as well as any of us how it feels to be dependent on the ocean.

That's why he started Waves for Water in 2009, delivering ceramic or membrane water filters to communities all over the world -- and to people in the crux of national disasters like the Haiti earthquake and the Japanese tsunami.

He also enlisted the help of his fellow wave riders, providing clean water to more than 2 million people in just two years. (Waves for Water)